ATLAS Hosts Babson Collaborative Summit 2024: A Global Confluence of Excellence in Entrepreneurial Education

ATLAS SkillTech University made history by becoming the first Indian university to host the prestigious Babson Collaborative Summit at its vibrant Mumbai campus. The summit brought together 65 educators from 28 collaborative member institutions in 23 countries, creating a global platform to share best practices in pedagogy and advance thought leadership in entrepreneurship education.

Inaugural Day: Unveiling India’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Dr. Indu Shahani, Founding President & Chancellor, welcomed Team Babson, expressing her excitement at having the summit at ATLAS.

Dr. Rajan Welukar, Vice Chancellor, unveiled the captivating tale of India’s entrepreneurial journey, from early economic reforms to the current tech startup boom.

Dr. Amir Raza, Dean, Babson Academy & Global Education, praised the ATLAS campus and its outstanding integration of technology, while Siddharth Shahani highlighted the university’s multidisciplinary, industry-integrated, global learning ecosystem.

The Entrepreneurship Trinity at ATLAS: Synergising Design, Business and Technology

Omkar Pandharkame, Director of ATLAS Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, delved into various aspects of startup ventures, emphasising the importance of customer feedback, strategic planning and guiding student entrepreneurs. Attendees participated in a Kahoot activity, exploring probing questions for student entrepreneurs.

Networking Give & Gets: Fostering Global Collaboration

Jamie Kendrioski and Jennie Backstrom led a dynamic networking session, facilitating collaboration opportunities among delegates. Through “Gets” and “Give” segments, participants articulated expectations and interests, laying the foundation for potential collaboration initiatives.

The Mindset Game: Exploring Cognitive Frameworks for Leadership and Innovation

Heidi Neck’s interactive session delved into contrasting cognitive frameworks, highlighting the distinct approaches of managerial thinking and entrepreneurial thinking. The session fostered critical thinking, collaboration, and self-awareness among participants.

Keynote Address by Falguni Nayar: Navigating Women Entrepreneurship in India

Falguni Nayar, Founder & CEO of Nykaa, shared insights into women entrepreneurship, e-commerce dynamics in India, and the transformative impact of businesses like Nykaa. Participants gained a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the Indian market.

Panel Discussion: Indian Entrepreneurship Development – Policy Initiatives and Changing Landscape

Moderated by Ismail Akbani, the panel discussion featured Abhinav Chaturvedi, Vikram Shete, and Manish Mathur, providing valuable insights into the historical context, educational imperatives, and policy support mechanisms driving entrepreneurial innovation in India.

Day 2: Mindsetting, Youth Impact and Frugal Innovations

Jennie Backstrom’s Mindsetting activity introduced valuable tools and practices for cultivating a positive mindset through yoga and meditation.

Beth Goldstein, Senior Director at Babson Academy, emphasised the importance of cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset pre-college, encouraging critical thinking, action-taking and embracing failure as a pathway to growth.

Ameya Ambulkar, Director of Post-graduate Programs at ATLAS, shed light on frugal innovations for solving large problems, emphasizing resourcefulness, community engagement and cross-subsidization models for driving social change.

The Student Challenge: Empowering Students for Sustainable Development Goals

A panel discussion featuring Matthew Fox, Audil Rashid Khaki, Ksenia Yuzhaninova-Karadenizli, and Emmanuel Peña Alvarez explored the role of the Student Challenge initiative. The session highlighted the importance of mentoring, mentorship matching, and multidisciplinary collaboration in empowering students to make meaningful contributions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dare to Ask: Cultivating Resilience and Proactive Approaches

Tiago Ratinho’s session emphasized the entrepreneurial mindset and the strategic importance of seeking support, expertise, and resources throughout the startup journey. Participants were encouraged to embrace “the ask” as a strategic imperative, fostering resilience, resourcefulness, and a proactive approach to addressing challenges and pursuing opportunities in their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Day 3: Gamified Learning, Street Entrepreneurship and Collaborative Business

Rajkumar Phatate’s session on using games in entrepreneurship education provided a dynamic and interactive learning experience. Participants gained practical insights into entrepreneurial decision-making through engaging activities like the Tower Building Game.

Jaimine Vaishnav’s session on street entrepreneurship explored the agility, adaptability and constraints inherent in this entrepreneurial ecosystem, acknowledging the resilience and determination exhibited by street entrepreneurs.

Jamie Kendrioski and Jennie Backstrom concluded the summit with a session on collaborative business, highlighting its pedagogical, industry and research dimensions. Through interactive discussions and case studies, participants gained insights into the transformative potential of collaboration in driving innovation, fostering synergy, and creating value across sectors.

Award Ceremony and Closing: Celebrating Entrepreneurial Excellence

The summit’s grand finale included an award ceremony, spotlighting excellence in entrepreneurship education. The closing ceremony expressed gratitude for the successful summit, emphasising global collaboration and the invaluable insights shared by Babson College and participants.

The event concluded with a sense of achievement and a commitment to future collaborative initiatives.

ATLAS SkillTech University’s historic hosting of the Babson Collaborative Summit marked a significant milestone in global entrepreneurship education. The summit’s success not only showcased ATLAS as a hub for entrepreneurial excellence but also strengthened global collaborations, laying the foundation for continued growth and innovation in the field. Stay tuned for more updates on our journey as we strive to shape the future of entrepreneurship education!

Glimpses of Heartwarming Memories

Welcome to Mumbai!

A Warm Welcome to Team Babson at ATLAS